Sino-Japan Relationship Under The New Circumstance Of The World After The Cold War

The Sino-Japan relation is an important part of international relations and both China and Japan have been playing key roles on the arena of international politics. The development or retrogress of Sino-Japan relation can determine the circumstance in northeast Asia and the whole world to some extent. After World War Two, Japan followed a national strategy of starting economy other than developing military. The allies Japan and the U.S. were the core of Japan's diplomacy and their interest was the top priority. Japan could even sacrifice the national interest to maintain the allies'group. But this strategy can not match Japan's interest any more with the rapid increase of Japan's economy and the mitigation of international circumstance. The end of cold war provides Japan a chance of changing the national strategy and the adjustment of Sino-Japan relation is an important requirement for Japan's diplomacy.The essay tries to review the history and reality of Sino-Japan relation from each period of its development to present a clear picture of Sino-Japan relation in the last 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The author's suggestion and perspective will also be given by analyzing current development of Sino-Japan relation. Four periods of development are supplied as follows, firstly, the common knowledge of the friendly adjacent countries by generations after the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between China and Japan; secondly, the peaceful and friendly Sino-Japan relation in the friendly treaty in 1978; thirdly, the friendly and cooperative partnership aiming to the peace and development in Sino-Japan Allied Communiquéin 1998; fourthly, the strategic reciprocal relationship between two countries from opposing each other from the beginning of 21st century.It can be seen that the Sino-Japan relation is developing along with the twists and turns, which is contributed to the national interests of the two countries and the driving forces from the external international political circumstance. The partnership framework between China and Japan is not the result of natural extension of Sino-Japan relation since the end of 1970s but the twisted steps, from circumstance changes in both home and abroad to the increase of political conflicts and to the knowledge of new characteristic of two countries and to the mutual adjustment of this relation and to the establishment of strategic reciprocal relationship.There are four parts in the essay. The first part aims to lay a foundation of clear historical reference to the further discussion by reviewing the development of Sino-Japan relation. A deep analysis on the new international political circumstance confronted with Sino-Japan relation will be presented in the second part by the following sections, firstly, challenges and opportunities in Asia-Pacific region; secondly, transformation of the structure of one super country with many strong nations to that of multi-polar; thirdly, the continuous enhancement of the trend of regionalization and integration; fourthly, peace and development is still the core theme of the development of international relation. There is a deep analysis of the opportunities and challenges confronted with the Sino-Japan relation under the new international political circumstance. The establishment of reciprocal relation between two countries and a change of political power in Taiwan province will likely become the opportunity for the good development of Sino-Japan relation in the new period. And Japan's historical problems, national consciousness and diplomatic strategy pursued by Japan all the way were factors of restraining the development of Sino-Japan relation. While, the U.S. is still the biggest external restricting factor in obtaining a break-through development of Sino-Japan relation. The restraint to the developing country China by the U.S. must rely on the alliance of the U.S. and Japan in Northeast Asia, which can not be neglected in the investigation on Sino-Japan relation since it got further development, redefinition and complement after the cold war. There is a perspective outlook on the future trend of Sino-Japan relation in the fourth part of the essay. As two important strategic powers in Northeast Asia, China and Japan compete with each other in many fields. China's peaceful rise brought by the rapid economic, political and social development in recent years make the neighboring country Japan a deep uneasy. How to understand China's rise by Japan will become an important factor in the future development of Sino-Japan relation. However, the common interest shared by China and Japan will be further developed and understood in the era of globalization with closer mutual dependence. Although the structural contradictions of two countries still exist, the strategic reciprocal relation of Sino-Japan relation must be further improved on the basis of pursuing common interest and the cooperation between two countries will be expended.Chinese president Hu Jintao will pay a'warm spring'state visit to Japan in May 2008. A mechanism for a regular exchange of visits between leaders of the two countries and the deepening folk exchange between two countries will do good to eliminate misunderstanding and doubt, and will promote a good and healthy Sino-Japan relation.